By Iyemah David
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated legislative support toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.
The authority’s Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call in an interview on Friday in Abuja, on the sidelines of the 5th Annual Legislative Summit on Health with the theme “Improving Legislative Stewardship and Accountability For UHC.”
NAN reports that UHC means that all people can benefit from quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship.
The NHIA boss said “we call on legislators for continued partnership and support, particularly in mobilising and financing health insurance for the poor and vulnerable.”
Dr Ohiri stressed the need to expand the funding envelope for vulnerable group and ensure oversight functions were effectively utilised to verify appropriate use of funds and identification of beneficiaries.
He explained that “there is already an appropriation for Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program in the 2024 budget. To fulfil the objective of addressing vulnerability, the VGF will also target pregnant women at risk of dying during childbirth.”
He said that with the collaborative efforts of legislators and health sector leaders, Nigeria can make significant strides toward achieving UHC.
He added that “the commitment to expanding coverage, ensuring equity, improving quality and efficiency is crucial in protecting Nigerians from catastrophic healthcare costs and achieving health for all.
“We need to enrol more people for health insurance to work, while translating enrolment into improved equity, quality of care, market efficiency and ultimately reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure.”
He expressed gratitude to the legislators “for unwavering support and leadership in advancing the nation’s health agenda.”
He highlighted significant milestones such as the passage of the National Health Act in 2014 and the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act in 2022.
He explained the crucial role of legislative action in expanding healthcare coverage and access to millions of Nigerians.
He noted that “while celebrating the second anniversary of the NHIAct, a review of the progress since its implementation was presented.
“The Act, which established the National Health Insurance Authority, aims to integrate and regulate health insurance schemes in the country.
“However, in spite of notable achievements, including the creation of the vulnerable group fund and establishment of State Health Insurance Agencies, coverage remains low, especially among vulnerable groups and the informal sector.”
He said that since the establishment of health insurance in 1999, significant strides have been made to protect families from catastrophic healthcare costs.
However, he said, the current landscape reveals that only 62 per cent of the formal sector and a mere one per cent of the informal sector are covered by health insurance.
He listed efforts made to address the disparity to include government subsidies and increasing the contributory elements from various programmes at both federal and state levels.
Aligning with the President’s agenda for UHC, he said the NHIA has outlined a strategic vision focused on four key objectives, namely coverage, equity, quality, and efficiency.
“This vision aims to expand health insurance to as many Nigerians as possible, ensuring that the poor are not left behind and that the insurance provided offers meaningful coverage with defined minimum benefits.
“To achieve this, the NHIA plans to engage civil society for accountability and optimize its organisational structure for effective performance,” he said.
